The Voice Recap: Grand Theft Auto-Tune

With all apologies to God, the Seventh Commandment just went the way of Crystal Pepsi, the personal pager and NBC’s Smash. I mean, seriously, who can enthusiastically support laws against larcenous behavior now that “The Steal” has found its way to The Voice‘s Knockout Rounds?

Now, before you cry “blasphemy!” let’s remember that Christina Aguilera has the voice of an angel — and she supports this blatant brand of thievery. And it’s also worth noting that The Steal has another proponent in Blake Shelton, a fine, upstanding fella whose recent crusade against the Westboro Hatemongering Association* puts him squarely in the corner of all that’s good and righteous. (*I won’t use the word “church” to describe those crazies.)

I know, I know…The Steal doesn’t always mean that the show’s best artists are immune from gut-wrenching injustice — all together now, “Matt Cermanski & Ashley Dubose: Never Forget!” — but they definitely add a layer of suspense to the proceedings, at least when Carson Daly doesn’t announce that there’s one coming up right after the commercial break.

And at least in one case tonight — involving Blind Auditions standout Holly Henry — the presence of The Steal caused (at least for me) an intriguing crisis of conscience. Should a last-minute lifeline be thrown to a vocalist who displayed incredible early promise, but whose Knockout Rounds pitch wobbled like a restaurant table in need of a wadded-up napkin under one leg? (It may be an unpopular sentiment, but I say “Nyet!”)

Anyhow…enough stalling. Let me jump to a ranking of each of tonight’s Knockouts from least- to most-promising winner:

8. Team Blake: Nic Hawk (“Genie in a Bottle”) defeats Holly Henry (“Creep”) | I don’t really want to talk about this Knockout pairing, OK? How about I sum it up in four words: Poor Holly! Lucky Nic! The End! (OK, that was six, but I wanted you to know that I wasn’t trying to be cute. I’m really done! I’m moving on. BUT I CAN’T MOVE ON. Damn you, Blake, you shoulda used your Battle Rounds steal on Matt Cermanski! Or Donna Allen!)

7. Team Cee Lo: Kat Robichaud (“You Oughta Know”) defeats Monika Leigh (“Hit the Road Jack”) | Could Kat — who described herself as being into “ballsy female angsty rock-and-roll” — have chosen anything more obvious than Alanis Morissette’s woman-scorned anthem? OK, maybe Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” but nevertheless, such a crippling lack of imagination troubles me almost as much as her “I want to do homicide to you” facial expressions. That death-drop/backbend thingie at the end of the number was cool, though, and her tone has a smokehouse goodness to it when she’s not pushing it all the way into the firepit. Poor Monika, clearly frazzled by the crowd’s rapturous response to Kat, overcompensated with a desperate attempt at sexy stompography. I can only wonder what might’ve been had she stood still and concentrated on her vocals. This! Is! The! Voice!, after all.

6. Team Adam: Grey (“Already Gone”) defeats James Irwin (“Breakeven) | Sometimes I think Adam loves Blake so much, that his Voice journey is like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel: Tattooed, tiny-waisted rocker dude sacrifices most of his good contestants in the Battles and Knockouts — in order to catapult his plaid-clad, goofy-grinned country bro to victory. (Maybe Matt Bomer could play Adam and Ryan Reynolds could play Blake in the inevitable big-screen adaptation. It’d be called Voice Lessons. You’d pay $14 for that, yes?) Anyway, that’s my roundabout way of saying I wish Mr. Levine had pitted Grey against Tessanne and James against Ashley. Because if those four vocalists were combined to make a S’more, Tessanne would be the chocolate, Ashley the marshmallow, James the Graham Cracker, and Grey the skewer on which you toast the marshmallow. Which doesn’t mean that Grey didn’t cut right through Kelly Clarkson’s hit with genuine precision, but she didn’t add any flavor to the mix, either. James may have strained a bit to reach the upper regions of The Script’s piece of ear candy, but at least he showed his dexterity on the bridge and infused the finished product with some guts and passion.

5. Team Xtina: Josh Logan (“Living for the City”) defeats Amber Nicole (“Mama Knows Best) — (Amber stolen by Cee Lo) | In the Battle Rounds, Cee Lo told Josh his vocal on Maroon 5′s “Harder to Breathe” was “almost identical” to Adam Levine’s, while tonight, Xtina declared in rehearsals that Josh sounded so much like Stevie Wonder that it was “scary.” And to me, that’s the soulful rocker’s biggest problem: It’s like he maps out his performances using tracing paper and pencil; there’s barely a shred of originality to his work. Amber, on the other hand, sang with authority and zeal, but I cannot tell a lie: I do not — not do I think I will ever — understand the fascination with Jessie J songs on reality singing competitions. The aforementioned British pop star will never catch any fish with her ditties, because sadly, they have no hooks! (Badum bum!)

4. Team Cee Lo: Jonny Gray (“We Can Work It Out”) defeats Cole Vosbury (“Let Her Go”) — (Cole stolen by Blake) | If I had to give out an award for Most Evenly Matched Knockout Duel, I’d have to hand it to Jonny and Cole, a couple of guys who — with the right song choices — could easily and quietly make a Nicholas David-esque march to the finale. I’ll freely admit I’ve never heard the Passenger ditty Cole covered, but I apprectiated his committment to covering the exact kind of music he wants to make in the real world, and the fact that his tone was as soothing as a butterscotch candy. Jonny, meanwhile, has the kind of baseline quaver to his voice that usually irks me, but there’s a bright, freshh quality to his instrument that like a happy pill for the music-receptors in my brain. I know, I know…this whole paragraph is 1-800-Too-Much, so let me just tip my hat to Blake for saving cool Cole and leave it at that.

3. Team Xtina: Olivia Henken (“You’re No Good”) defeats Destinee Quinn (“See You Again”) | What in the name of all that’s earwax were the coaches going on about tonight — saying how close this matchup was, and how both ladies struggled with pitch? True, Destinee’s voice on a Carrie Underwood track would kind of be like a sparrow attempting to pull a trout from a hawk’s talons, but Olivia was subtle and sexy — and hit her glory notes as squarely as, um…I was going to try to make some kind of “Major League Player connecting with a baseball” riff here, but who am I kidding? I don’t watch the World Series!

2. Team Blake: Shelbie Z (“Last Name”) defeats Briana Cuoco (“Don’t Speak”) | If Jonny-vs-Cole was the night’s tightest race, then Shelbie-vs-Briana was the landslide election. Heck, even diplomatic Blake had to admit that Shelbie “flat-out outsang” her rival, and that’s not even factoring in points for insanely entertaining stage presence, including a strategically placed hip sway on the line “on the dance floor.” It’s a rare reality singing contestant who tackles La Underwood where it doesn’t end in a trip-slip-fall incident, but Shelbie stood tall and triumphant from the first note to the last. My notes actually read, “MOPPED THE FLOOR!” Unfortunately for Briana, her succession of flat notes and excessive vibrato meant she got tossed out with the bucket of water.

1. Team Adam: Tessanne Chin (“Stronger [What Doesn’t Kill You]”) defeats Ashley Dubose (“Hey Soul Sister”) | I believed every (glorious) (powerful) (perfectly in-tune) word coming out of Tessanne’s mouth, which is the only reason I’m able to press on and say, “Yes, I’ll tune in for Tuesday night’s Knockouts.” Seriously, Tessanne’s instrument is, for lack of a better word, so darn muscular that it’d make Arnold Schwarzenegger a little self-conscious. Those rangey high notes she hit on the second verse only added to the overall allure of an artist who manages the tough task of achieving near perfection without coming across as overly studied or void of character. Which isn’t to say I didn’t adore Ashley just as much: Girlfriend doesn’t quite have the horsepower of Tessanne, but there’s a wonderful scratchiness that creeps into her tone when you least expect it, and I thought the way she phrased the song with a little added reggae-ishness elevated Train’s megahit to a heretofore unseen level of coolness. Ashley left with heartbreaking dignity and optimism, which provided a nice counterbalance for the way I cursed at and raged against Blake, Adam and Xtina for letting her walk away without the Steal.

And with that, let me turn things over to you. What did you think of tonight’s Knockout Rounds? Did you disagree with any of the coaches’ decisions on Knockout wins or Steals? Sound off in the comments!Follow @MichaelSlezakTV

I’m going to Hijack this to give props to The Voice drummer and bass player.

I’ve been critical on these forums they last 12 months. I guess my hope was that whoever was reigning them in or giving them inadequate practice time right that wrong…

The Band sounded great.. the drummer showed all the touch I read he had.. he and the bass and the keyboard player grooved together very tightly (their rhythm guitars have always been good)

Anyway.. well done guys if this filters back to them. I’m glad they got a chance to show who they are. (now.. Producers.. up that band budget .. give them more hours together in season and get them to play more gigs together off season.. pay top dollar for some other soloists and the core can be on par with the idol band!)

I’ve been saying on this comment board from the very beginning that Holly Henry was a one-trick pony (and it wasn’t even that good of a trick to being with). It’s not just she had this one bad performance…. apparently her battle round showing was so poor that the show had to montage it. I cry no tears over this departure.

May not be the best wording, but she would be a really good looking woman is she lost 100lbs. Overweight people shouldn’t be so touchy about being told they need to lose weight either since they are slowly killing themselves. Reality check, maybe people say that to you because they don’t want to see you eat yourself to an early grave.

And who the hell told you that you get to tell anyone what they should do with their body just so they look attractive to you? Go dig yourself a hole and stay in it, you’ll be doing the rest of the world a favor.

There are a lot of things that make this show fun and keep people tuning in, obviously, but what makes this show superior to all other singing competitions is this Band. They are amazing, ridiculously good. They were the reason RockStar INXS was the best singing competition when it was on and they are the reason the Voice has no equal in this genre. They deserve more “on air” appreciation and acknowledgement in my opinion…

After watching Holly’s “Creep,” my husband and I both immediately said Lucas’ version from Rockstar Supernova (right before Rockstar INXS) was infinitely better. And could someone please put Storm Large on the Voice? That would be phenomenal.

Tom, your words have just filtered back to the band, and they thank you! They also love when they are featured more often, though they understand those occasions will be rare, since it’s not really that kind of show. Still, in the live shows they always get more of a chance to shine.

They would also love more of a band budget if the show finds a way to make that happen – though they would like to insist that they are already better than the Idol band!

Yes Michael, Holly should not have gotten the Steal because she should have won outright. Blake picking Nic over Holly now surplants Cee-Lo choosing Erin Martin over. The Shields Brothers as the worst decision ever in the history of The Voice. Holly could have won this season. Nic will be voted off the show next week.

Holly was my favorite of the 42 contestants this season, even though I knew fully well that her style of singing would eventually peter out after a few live rounds and she’d lose the popular vote. But she sure blew that knockout round and didn’t even make the lives. I’m disappointed but honestly I don’t care because I think this is the weakest season of them all in terms of singers.

I think Blake set up Nic to be a fall guy to Holly and was shocked when Holly faltered. Adam said her last tow performances were shaky, but we never got to see her battle round.

Was I the only person who thought after watching Kat vs. Monika that both of them should lose?

I disagree about this being the worst season. Tonight’s episode features a lot of my favorites: Matthew Schuler, Preston Pohl, Caroline Pennell, Jacquie Lee, James Wolpert, Austin Jenckes… a lot of truly phenomenal vocalists in this bunch.

Yes! This is a season where I can already say the top 3 are guaranteed to be better than last season’s, just by looking at the people already through, unless somehow Nic makes it…but nonetheless, I’m at least 85% sure that better voices than Danielle, Michelle, and the Swons will be in our final three this year, even though some fans of them might disagree.

You really can’t guarantee much of anything. Better voice doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed any success.
Judith had a better voice than Michelle and the swons combined (and I love the hell out of michelle) but she failed. Same with Sarah, Amber also didn’t win as well.
So it’s not much of a matter of “better voice” it’s a matter of what the hell happens once they’re on stage in front of millions of people

I’m comparing this year’s crop to last year’s top 3. Yeas, last year’s top 3 was not the best of the best of that season, and this year’s top 3 may not be the best of the best of this season, but my certainty lies in this year’s talent pool just being consistently better overall than the top 3 from last season. Of the people through just from this first night, disregarding how many of my favorites haven’t performed yet, I like all but one of them, Nic, more than any of the top 3 last year. That’s why I say it’s a guarantee.

The top 3 as a whole was not the best…individually maybe.
Well at least I felt nobody was ever genuinely putting in as much effort and remaining as consistently spectacular as Michelle. The Swons are lame. Danielle could sing 2 words and top the charts. But otherwise Michelle easily deserved to be in the top 3 after the 4th week in.

Blake should not have been shocked because Holly stated at the blinds that she has virtually no experience performing before audiences. You can hardly assume someone like that is going to breeze through any televised head-to-head battle. If Blake assumed that, he was the wrong coach for her.

@Emma – Yes, but Danielle is that rare natural talent who loves to sing. Danielle’s gift is her voice. Danielle rarely encountered any issues with her technique. She was never afraid to sing; Danielle was really waiting for the right opportunity to showcase her voice. Danielle is a strong, extroverted vocalist first and foremost, but Holly is an introverted songwriter who plays instruments and has a soft, haunting voice. Danielle was an ideal fit for this format, but Holly needs someone to check her pitch, phrasing and pacing.

Her Battle Round performance was good enough to make it in the top 100 of the iTunes pop charts, higher than 20 contestants that had their full Battle shown and higher than everyone who won their Knockout round last night. And though we cannot say for sure, I would venture to say had Holly’s version of Creep been released to iTunes, it would have been one of the most bought performances from last night. It does speak volumes that her performance pushed the twenty year old original into iTunes top overall charts, somewhere currently only Cole is as I type this.

I like Holly, but she’s inexperienced as a vocalist, and “Creep” was probably too difficult for her. Her coach (Blake) should have advised her to pick a song that would better highlight her vocal strengths, like “The Scientist” did. I know “Creep” was Holly’s choice, but I’ve always felt that when a singer makes a poor song choice on “The Voice,” the coach needs to step in and advise them to reconsider. Holly is more raw than most of the singers who made it to the knockout round, and needs more coaching than most of them. It doesn’t appear that Blake helped her as much as he could have. If Blake had helped Holly pick a song that was a better fit for her, I think Holly would have moved on to the next round.

That’s how I felt when she picked Blake. Xtina might have been able to guide her better. Holly was an early favorite of mine but that was just not good last night. Still, I much prefer her to Nic. His voice sounds so nasally to me. I would have preferred to hear her take a stab at the live rounds. Nic will be out early. My guess would be on the first round. Oh well.

That song was ultimately picked by Blake. I heard an interview with Holly and the way the Knockouts work is: the contestant picks 5 songs and then the coach chooses the one they are going to sing. They can share the blame on this one. BAD song choice for her.

I love Holly voice, but to be honest last night was not good. She had severe pitch problem and you could tell that she was real nervous. I do not think she is ready for the competition. After saying that I thought Nick was bad to. I do not think he will last long, but truthfully, Holly would not have lasted either due to her nerves and shyness.

No she shouldn’t have. Her performance of “Creep” was pretty bad. Nic doesn’t have the best voice, but he showed originality on “Genie in a Bottle” and his stage presence was way better than Holly’s. Base on those performances only, Nic should have won. Adam Levine’s comment about why he didn’t steal Holly was telling…she regressed from her audition instead of showing improvemrnt.

I do not understand how anyone could can Nic Hawk original when Luke Edgemon gave the exact same performance but did it better. Luke made the mistake of picking a cheesy pop song that was not originally done by a close friend of his coach. Had Nic done Teenage Dream or some other cheesy female pop song instead he probably would have been sent home faster than Luke.

I agree with you, Jennifer. I was uncomfortable listening to Holly sing Creep. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of Nic’s performances, from his blind audition to Domino (which I can’t get out of my head). I totally loved his rendition of Genie in a Bottle. He’s appears very comfortable on stage and plays to the judges & audience well. I find his voice unique & entertaining. He gives 100%! I’m rather bored with many of the other performers except Caroline Pennell.

Too disgusted to really comment. So Blake finally had someone I might have been crazy about and he dumps her before we even hit live rounds! WTH Blake! If you are so caught up on Nic (yeah Holly had some pitch issues tonight but it is a tricky song and she was spot on last time, while Nic has a tone that makes every note, no matter if perfect pitch or not, sound like nails on a chalkboard) then why not pair Holly with Briana? Man, can’t believe he finally had someone interesting to perhaps root for to win and he dumps her right away. I knew she made a mistake when she went vote chasing and picked Blake even though he seemed a poor fit.
.
IMO it’s more than time for Blake to go on tour and take a break. He schtick was fun at first, but it’s growing old and he took dullsville last season to just about take over the entire finale and won with dullsville S2.
.
Has someone interesting this time, one of those alternate types the show has love, only this time one with some power and in a rocker instead of hipster style for once and…. wow cuts her before live rounds even. Not once on these shows has anyone who charted like that early never made live rounds!
.
Man so wish Adam had saved her, his favorite alt singer the other season missed notes right and left the ENTIRE season and he gave her a pass, and Holly seemed a lot more real too. She would’ve brought something different to the show which will be missing now this season.
.
Anyway too disgusted to say anything about the rest of the night.

Seriously when Usher and Shakira come back PLEASSSSSE let it be Blake who is one of the ones out! Man I finally may have even been able to full out root for his winner this season…. and he cuts her lives! The number two itunes charter out of ALL contestants he cuts before lives!

I agree that Blake needs a break because of his questionable choices for the past couple seasons. But I think he did the right thing selecting Nic over Holly. With the exception of her blind audition, Holly just wasn’t that good. She either lacks versatility or good judgment in song choices.

She has a body of work much larger than the one knockout song (where I still think she did better than Nic, since his voice was piercingly grating even all the times it was spot on) and she brings something different.

Word is it was some nasty arrangement last week that all the coaches slammed Blake for big time and that neither singer sounded in synch with and apparently some technical glitch happened too. Her audition was awesome, and although she got rough with the pitch and a few other little things thing tonight you could still see tons of promise, especially also considering the audition and youtube stuff.
.
Nic had a lot of energy yeah, but almost every note was grating and piercing. I bet Holly would go way farther in this.

Tons of promise? She can’t sing! lol When your pitch accuracy is at around the 50% mark and you can’t hold a glory note for longer than a second without it being glaringly obvious you don’t know even the basics of breath support, then there is little hope. Maybe it was just a bad day for her, but man oh man was this a bad day for her.

She can sing.
Considering the fact that the ability to sing isn’t measured by how well you perform in public.
Please excuse yourself to her youtube videos, then again I’ve seen you around enough to know well enough you’re stubborn and not worth getting much into conversation with.

Yeah but she didn’t have those problems during her audition and on a bunch of her youtube stuff.
.
OTOH, Nick has a had really grating tone, at least in my opinion and to my ears, and misses lots of notes himself and we seem to have seen about the best he can do. He never had that one amazing round yet or anything close to it and has no backing body with some awesome stuff mixed in to be found.
.
With Holly there was a lot of potential at least. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked out, but man maybe it would have in spades. At worst she would’ve been more interesting for a little while than some and even if she were to miss notes again and such better than missing notes and having the hit notes sound like nails on a chalk board.
.
There is no way Nick has any remote shot to come remotely close to winning or even making it close to the finale. If Holly got righted she had a chance at least.
.
And forget about Nick and whether he is great or not, this is about her not him, I think there are things out there and things we have seen that showed Holly had some really interesting potential. And the fact that she has sold, I believe, #2 of ALL contestants so far, makes on thing others saw some potential too. And it’s just a shame to see it all have gone to waste. I really would’ve loved to see what would’ve happened on another team.

Kaba, and I know you well enough to know that you resort to ad hominem attacks when someone doesn’t agree with you. As you’ve seen with HTGR, I can be perfectly pleasant with people whose opinions I don’t necessarily agree with. Please try to do the same.

@angie, I wouldn’t have thought she had a body of work either because I only knew her from The Voice, but if you enjoyed her first performance you really should check out her videos on youtube, she’s got a bunch. I had no idea until reading Kaba’s comment, but they really were good. I think she either made a really poor decision in trying to cover Radiohead or her nerves got to her because I can really see this girl making it far in her career if she doesn’t let this setback stop her.

@Kaba, thanks for mentioning her stuff on youtube. I had no idea but I really enjoyed listening to her video, especially her Unusual Ukelele Covers. I really hope she works on her stage performances because she does have quite a unique and hauntingly beautiful voice. I would totally buy an album of hers if she ever gets one out there.

Of her 3 performances. She nailed 1. That’s not a “body” of anything. I like Nick “him.” She’s needs a lot more training, confidence and knowledge of her voice limitations. That song was waaaaay out of her league. She is just not “ready” yet and that was clear. To be fair, I am not sure if there was a right choice. Nick hit more of his notes, but I am not really sure any of them were on purpose.

I’m just a little curious why people think that Blake is a poor fit for Holly. Watching Holly reminds me of Dia Frampton, who also has a nervous problem in the beginning . However, they found a way to work it out and created magical perfomances that we still remember today. I still wish that Blake could do something like that again other than sticking to country. That’s why I’m totally glad that Holly chose Blake. Besides, I don’t know what the other three coaches can do with her.

Yeah I was hoping, but she seemed too rocker/emo indie artist and not coffee house/hipster to mesh with him as well perhaps. I hoped it would work out anyway, although I had some fears it wouldn’t, sadly it didn’t. And yeah before you mention Terry, but that was a different sort of rock. Anyway it’s done.
.
He sort of won with three different genres, Cassaddee was pure pop but now he’s made her pure country. And Jermaine Paul, well I don’t remember anyone interested enough to even comment about much on any site and his itunes tracked low so IMO that was a pretty bland winner compared to other competition he had.

People forget that Juliet was under the weather for the finale. More importantly, Blake decided to use his star power on a fantastic “Soul Man” duet with Jermaine. I am positive that the duet won it for James more than anything else. Blake’s fan base turned out the vote for him. As for Cassadee, she had name recognition and then Blake consistently had OTT reactions to all of her performances. Blake smartly injected himself into it by using songs from Miranda and himself and then tearing up on camera. It was awfully manipulative. Danielle was great, though. Blake just gave her the right material and stepped aside. I was really proud of Danielle. That kid is something special.

I love Blake but he didn’t win with 3 different genres. The only stations playing Cassadee Pope (worst winner ever!!!) are country stations. Fortunately, the only time I have to hear her are the rare times my husband gets control of the radio station!

I agree with this comment. I didn’t think Holly was similar to Dia at all. Holly seems to be more of a darker singer/songwriter like Lindsey Pavao. Caroline and Dia sings and write more blissful songs.

I was also really disappointed that Holly is gone HTGR . I was looking forward to hearing her over the season myself. Unfortunately… I somewhat understand where Blake was coming from and what she did not do that he personalty values. I don’t take is as any conspiracy.. just bum luck.

I also understood Adam and felt what he said before he said it. While I enjoyed her performance.. I think I expected her to have a bit more. Maybe the song was too demanding for her voice because it really is a “no place to hide” song. Here is a Realty show version that just killed it

but again.. i’m with you .. it’s sad for me that she’s gone and I liked her performance even as it was.

Holly Henry hit so many sour, wince inducing notes I was surprised the judges even pretended that she was even in the running after that performance. My roommate actually came in the kitchen and asked “what the hell was that?”. It was nice that they were kind, but it wasn’t her night in any way. It doesn’t matter if she has a good song on Youtube, she needed to sing tonight’s song well and on pitch and unfortunately, she couldn’t deliver. I felt sorry for her because she seems a sweet kid, and it may have been nerves, but it was actually cringe-worthy (right up there with last year’s Erin Martin.) Hopefully she will continue to work on her craft and become consistent.

There is a huge difference with singing on YouTube and singing in front of a large Tv audience. I just don’t think she is ready! This may actually be the best thing for her…if she went on live…that would be more intimidating and she may just mess up more and that may just erode her confidence and erode her fan support. I loved her on Blinds…I liked her Torn cover on ITunes. But sadly…tonight was a very bad performance that proves she is not ready. Going out now…there is enough buzz about her that she can build her audience. She may still get a record deal out of this and build her audience on YouTube.

We’re blaming Blake because Holly sucked out loud? Can we get over these youtube sensations that don’t deliver? “But yooooooooootoooooooobe!!!!” doesn’t mean crap if you don’t deliver live, on stage, where it actually counts.

I think Tessanne is definitely making it to the finals. Not only does she have an amazing voice and the kind of stage presence of Judith Hill commanded, she has an endearing personality and humbleness to garner the votes. That being said, my favorite of the night was Shelbie Z. She’s got amazing vocals and her sassy attitude was totally appropriate for her song selection. The only loss I didn’t agree with was James Irwin, but song selection may be too much of a factor in why I enjoyed his performance.

Def agreed on Shelby. What a wonderful surprise she has been.
Tessanne is good but I’m not loving it as much as everyone else seems to be. She’s an awesome singer, but I don’t get excited listening to her for whatever reason.

I just a huge fan of good singing, EVEN if it’s country music. Tessanne is technically amazing and she strikes me as a sweetheart. Maybe I’ll be a Tessanne convert later in the season. I’m open to the idea. She’s damn good.

At this point, my only problem with Tessanne is how little variation there has been in the songs, they are all kind of these generic pop vocal power performances. I can’t wait to see what happens when she starts switching things up, hopefully infusing some of her reggae background. You should check out some of her videos on youtube.

I often feel like you about performers with super strong voices on these shows but tessanne has a personal charm to her that I can relate to. (I didn’t really “bond” with Judith to the extent i watched before the voting fiasco) Personality does come through in the music.

I Liked Ashely a lot too on the charm basis and I really liked what she had planned with the song. I think she looked terrifice. But, I do think that with all the birds lined up positively in her direction we saw a few limitations which at this super star national audience expectation level.. she wasn’t quite up to. She seemed to be a bit in her head…alternatively getting just slightly ahead or running to catch up with the beat… .. .and …. well Hell. worthy of being on National TV in a talent competition and to be enjoyable but the cuts get tougher and tougher.

Tessane was really helped by her Styling. I thought the producers did a super job making each and every contestant look great in ways that fit the best of their personalities.

GREAT to have a Show where they are more interested in making every performance as good as they can than sabotaging to help fit a storyline.

I, too, am a great admirer of Tessanne’s talent which I think is enormous but she looked downright matronly last night. Her hairstyle looked straight out of the ’70s and her outfit was way too old for her. That could make a lot of difference in the long run as to whether she relates to the audience or not. These are the viewers who voted a 16 year old for the win last year. A more current look could help Tessanne a lot.

I completely agree. She really needs help with her styling and I hope she gets it. She looks so much older than she is. Changing up her hair and wardrobe would help her tremendously. She could be untouchable. She has probably the most polished, powerful voice in the competition.

@ Cassandra: I agree that Tessanne has an amazing voice, stage presence, and endearing personality. IMO she’s the Meryl Streep of this season. You can tell when she sings a song, she gets into the character just as an actor would do. I thought she gave the best performance of the night, followed by Kat and Amber.

I thought Tessanne was good on “Try” in the blinds, but a little too rehearsed for my taste. Then came the battles and the knockouts and she has just killed it both times. Kat, Josh and Jonny were good, but Tessanne was head and shoulders above everyone imo.

The way they styled her made if much more fun for me to watch on tv too.. the hairstyle last night played into her features so much better .. seems to make her look younger and fitter by showing her beautiful cheek bones and putting less emphasis on forehead and cheeks (as opposed to the cheekbones above the cheeks)

i don’t know if i was in a bad mood mood or not
but this has got to be one of the weakest shows yet
not one person stood out to me. Everybody did what they’ve done since the blinds & that was it, no one grew or pulled ahead AT ALL

Holly’s song choice (Creep) was horrible. Her make-up was weird. It’s all very creepy… Not in a good way though. Her pitch was not spot-on. Such a shame for she was my favorite after the Blind Audition. I was very upset that her battle round got montaged. Now I know why they did it. Quite a disappointment after so much promise earlier on.

Holly picked a song she absolutely could not sing. She was off-pitch on the verses, and nowhere near the vocal power required to sing the chorus. She was one of my favorites after the audition round, but I knew she was in trouble as soon as I heard her song choice. Someone should have told her she was making a big mistake. Isn’t that the coach’s job? That was an avoidable disaster.

Mark, This is spot on. It was clear her song choice would highlight her weaknesses and not her strengths. Too bad. I think Holly is great – but she will be a better artist in general when she knows her strengths and weaknesses. And that will come with time and experience.

Mark and Teeny are absolutely right. Holly’s elimination was an avoidable disaster. She picked a song that wasn’t a good choice for her, and it cost her. I’m surprised Blake didn’t pull her aside at some point, tell her “Creep” was a bad choice and advise her on some better song options. As raw and inexperienced as Holly is, she needed a coach that would keep her from making poor decisions. Hopefully her time on The Voice will help open some doors for Holly, because she has a lot of potential.

Song choice this round is completely up to the contestants as one last chance to show the coaches what kind of artist they feel like they are. The coaches only try to help with the contestant’s choice.

If that’s the case then Blake definitely should have chosen Holly: let her learn from the KO experience, then work with her in the live rounds to highlight her strengths. If Blake had been able to foresee the public reaction to Holly, he would have known that he had time to work with her and develop her into a real threat to win.

she choked its as simple as that going from singing on youtube to a live audience is 100% different & theres nothing to suggest she wouldnt choke again & become a threat to win. Her pairing with nic was hers to lose & she lost it simple as

The best advice Blake could have given her was “Holly, sweetie, this isn’t working. This song is too big for you. What else do you have?” I don’t think Blake believed in her and wasn’t interested in developing her. Her type–ethereal, thin-voiced girls with sweet dispositions–sound good in the auditions, but they don’t win. Dia made the final the first year when the rules were different, but since then none of that type has advanced very far.

Exactly and Holly has a lot more power than Melanie too and seemed more genuine and not so hipstersish non-calculated calculated (not to be too harsh on her though as her fellow contestants all said great things about her). Melanie, during her live rounds, routinely missed as many notes as Holly did the night before (although she polished up much better on itunes each week). Anyway for those who write off Holly so fast in such a fickle way look to xfactor, Rachel Potter had an amazing audition and most posters here were pegging her as the winner, things fells apart during the team choice rounds but you could tell it was just a misfit song and an off night and yet 90% of the posters where were then screaming mad that she was saved, she was saved and given the extra shot for her potential and then she comes back and totally slays it again tonight. You have to judge the ways and why of how something goes wrong and other things you’ve seen before as to whether to drop so one so fast or not. I think the Rachel Potter dumpers have been proven wrong and, while you never know, maybe her nerves and not having enough time to get past that in live performance would’ve hurt her again, I wouldn’t be the slightest bit shocked if Holly had come back next week and blown everyone away again.

As I mentioned above, that is not correct. The contestants pick 5 songs and the final choice is made by the coaches. Blake definately should have chose a different song as soon as he heard she couldn’t pull this one off.

Good research. I also remember Blake saying during the rehearsal footage (paraphrased), “I chose this song because it represents the direction where she’s headed as an artist.” It was intended to be a much truer reflection of her taste, in contrast to “Torn.”

Blake has made it pretty clear in the past when he disagreed with contestants choices (Rudy Parris?), but he lets them make them, because he believes the audience responds to authenticity. She felt the song reflected her. He gave her an easy matchup and she failed. Not Blake’s fault. He didn’t coach her to miss ALL those notes. He’s good with the shy, inexperienced teenage singers, remember how far Xenia came? Or even Danielle Bradbury? If she’d not screwed up the song it would have been a good song that represented her as an artist. She just can’t sing.

Your consistent underestimation and undervaluing of Grey’s abilities is quite annoying and it will come back to bite you in the behind, my friend. I thought she was fantastic tonight and I think she’s a contender.

Agreed! She, Kat, Olivia, and Josh were standouts tonight. Tessanne was also great as always – I don’t think she hit a single note wrong, but then, neither did Grey – Kelly songs almost always make the artist covering them look inferior, but not Grey, and certainly not Tessanne. Olivia and Kat are just powerhouses in every form of the word in their genres, and Josh has some of the best control I’ve ever heard on a male vocalist. His runs are perfection every single time, and they’re complex. Honorable mention to Amber, who is also consistently great. I’m really, really digging this season so far. Hopefully the rest fills up with people I like too.

I thought Olivia slipped back again this week. I didn’t even remember her from the early rounds and then I was really impressed with her last week and this week it was just OK, but from the promise of last week I have no problem with her going through.

I thought she showed tremendous potential last week with Done. Last night was just meh. There are a lot of powerhouse singers this season. She’s going to have to deliver a splash of individuality & personality. That said, she definitely deserved to win the knockout.

I really don’t like that “you oughtat Know song in general” I hate any song that is whiny or naggy or even just angry-in-a-hurt way .. Either be hurt and relfective or be ANGRY and angry isn’t much fun without Rebellion.. a feeling that your anger is going to let you throw off the chains and run around and dance happily on the bones of your enemies ! (ok getting poetic) . The song is so often just some of the worst deadly sins of jealousy and desire for revenge..

BUT Kat made it Wicked ! lol that was cool. Wicked.. is like a powerful witch able to work her ways…..exotic and powerful.. not some girl that got dumped when she was pregnant and had a baby and going to spend her life thinking of that guy that didn’t think she was good enough for him ….. unfortunate situation to say the least but non one I want to hear about…unless it’s a source of power for some insane wicked witch then it’s pretty cool.. becomes a bit fun comic saturday at the horror show thing.. but thats a good escape.. not something that feels true and unfortunate situation all around that I don’t want to think about.

Yeah, I agree with you I both loved Grey and Josh and Amber’s performances tonight but it’s surprising they are ranked low. I honestly prefer Season 3’s rendition of Already Gone because of the unforgettable …”already, just already…. GOOOOOOOONE!” but hey Greay did an amazing version too….

He did this with Sasha Allen, which annoyed the piss out of me. But don’t take it too personally. Who Michael roots for on these other singing shows, are not always similar to the ones on Idol he tends to like.

I agree with Blake’s decision to cut Holly completely. She had pitch issues, and at this stage, that can get you cut (it might slide sometimes, but not always). Nic’s rendition was unique and gutsy, which is what this show looks for. The coaches have to be smart about who they bring to the live round. Holly has had great moments, but she is young and has a lot to learn. Unless you are naturally just crazy gifted, only trained vocalists will go through. Holly is neither.

Song choice is everything and these contestants have to know how to sing the right song for their vocal range. Holly clearly did not understand that or she would have picked a better song. Also, glad Briana C. is gone. She should have never gotten past the blinds.

C’mon, let’s not compare Nic to Dia Frampton doing Heartless or Lindsey Pavao sing Say Ahh, He was not very unique considering just last season two dudes sang Teenage Dream in the same vain and gave much better performances than Nic but then were promptly eliminated. Nic’s rendition was not any more unique and gutsy than a teenage coffee house singer performing an an alt-rock anthem that was older than she was.

And let’s be honest, what the show looks for are singers who will get people to tune in because ratings are the most important thing to the producers and no body is watching next week because of Nic. Compared to Holly who had either the first or second most downloaded song of the season and the second most viewed performance on YouTube. Her montage segment was even the third most viewed video on YouTube from last week. Her After the Battle was the most viewed video despite half of them were uploaded a week before hers and actually doubles the views of every other After the Battle video but one.

All I know is that I really apprecaiated the season with Nicholas David and Melanie Martinez on it.. and even Casadee Pope actually has some rockstar-counter culture edge to her she keeps in check. I want to see more self confident people marching gloriously to the beat of their own drummers that can also sing of course …. they did try to role them out during the process so I’m not saying they aren’t looking for the same.. and just didn’t find them. Still..after that voting snaful last season and how it tlited things away from the picks that non R&B metroplitan audiences would gravitate towards… I have to wonder if they’re trying to be sure they don’t become known as the show where “hipsters” (which I still think sounds like a compliment but people hurl about as an insult) do well on.

Well… I just want Matt back. I bought his album the other day. Listened to it during commercial breaks. I also feel like Grey is just there. Like sure she has a good voice. But I didn’t feel any personality. Nothing. Felt nothing. Ashley had so much potential. She has that quality about her to make her a star. She was paired against someone who’s job is singing. I’m scared of Kat. Josh sounds like the artists of the songs he sings. The country singers are strong. I’m going to miss Holly. I like Jonny, I just don’t see the range in his voice. But I like his vibe. If JUHI goes home tomorrow I actually will cry. The Voice is a good example of how unfair life is. (How Matt managed to go home, but Briana stayed?…) INJUSTICE. Saying a prayer for Juhi.

Juhi better get stolen by Christina. Point. Blank. Period.
Then she can get rid of Olivia as her first pick because…she just isn’t going to be that insane from the looks of it.
If Christina takes Josh, Jacquie, Matt, and Juhi to the lives with her. She will have an insanely strong team. Jacquie, and Matt (I know for fact) have done well on itunes. And Juhi is just amazing. Josh is just a necessity.

I was glad both Jonny Gray and Cole Vosbury got to stay. I think Xtina made the right choice on the Olivia/Destinee battle. Olivia had so much more control. Destinee sounded wobbly and all over the place.

I don’t know if anyone watched this, but Holly Henry looked absolutely terrified in her interview after winning against Cilla Chan (it’s on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbKgfreYEQk). I kind of have a feeling that she was just not enjoying this experience, and it came out in her performance.

Holly was a little skittish throughout the process. Remember how she confessed that she had not performed much at all in front of audiences. Holly is the singer-songwriter type and her vocals are still inconsistent. I love some of her YouTube stuff (e.g., Your Song), but there are others tunes that are a little flat and sleepy. I think she has enormous potential, but needs to work on consistency in her vocals.

I don’t know about not enjoying it all, there is a difference between getting nervous and being shy and not enjoying or wanting something. Maybe after seeing all the support and second highest iTunes tracking she’ll make a start on losing the nerves and move forward.
.
I think they neither sounded like they liked the song they were given or how it was arranged though but it a different thing. I just wish she had gone with another coach to start. Blake wasn’t into his protect the young blonde girl at all costs thing this time and she was too out of his wheelhouse and she probably would’ve been much better served, as it turns out, having picked a better match of a coach.

I’m guessing here, but I think somewhere in the process Holly realized that she picked the wrong coach. Danielle was the all-time perfect match for Blake and it was a great partnership. Holly was certainly never a great fit on Blake’s team.

Yeah it seems like it.
.
Right after she picked him I think Carson or someone asked for a quick word about the decision and I think she quickly mumbled something along the lines of “well, because he seems to always win” so it sounded like she maybe vote chased instead of going with a coach who made a more natural sounding pitch (maybe also hoping she’d be one his pet favorites since at first it seemed like she might perhaps fall into that, although it quickly became apparent that that was not so). I forget the details but I could swear one of the other coaches had made a more natural sounding pitch to her, CeeLo or Adam I think.
.
And tonight Xtina went up to here and seemed to start talking something about you are young and you know who you are you have that don’t let that get changed or something or other, maybe hinting that there was a poor mesh, hard to say though, dangerous to read too much into anything, we see so little and so much is processed and edited.

Check out Holly’s tweet in regard to Xtina’s “pep talk.” Holly really appreciated the kind and encouraging words. Holly and Cee Lo were both enthusiastic about her during the blinds. Xtina seems to be offering very specific advice and tips this season when coaching her singers. I think she would have had Holly better prepared for that Knockout round.

After her performance last night all the other judges probably would have sent her home too. She is just not ready to perform in a live setting. Nothing wrong with that, but she need to work on her nerves. I like her voice, but her stage freight came out big time, and if you heard Adam’s remark, she was not finding it easier. She should wait a couple of years and work small clubs maybe to work up her confidence.

I’m sorry but shy people don’t try out for reality TV shows that are viewed by millions of people. And she didn’t seem shy when she told Blake I’m going to nail it, but unfortunately she didn’t nail it.

I disagree, I give her props for pushing herself, but still wasn’t quite ready. Talking to your coach one on one is not the same as performing in front of an audience. There are a lot of people who push themselves to get over their fear, unfortunately this time she didn’t do it, but you never know next time she might. Give the girl a break.

I agree that shy people should not try out for shows like Survivor, but The Voice is a different animal, all I want is entertaining music. I will take an introvert over someone like Nic or Kat who’s performance may look entertaining, but when you close your eyes, the vocals are just not there. I want people on the show whose music I would buy. I would, and have bought music by Holly but will never buy any by Nic. I’ll take introverts like Eddie Vedder and Norah Jones over Kesha and Lady Gaga any day.

She had been crying just minutes before. As for “not enjoying the experience,” Holly prevailed despite agoraphobia (fears of being in places where there is a risk of having a panic attack that people may witness, and getting away rapidly may be difficult).

Holly was the Katniss Everdeen of agoraphobics tonight. God bless her for facing down her fears and DOING IT! I’m ashamed of the way The Voice tugs at our hearts with stories of hardship, only to have ignored Holly’s.

You bet! That strategy typically makes these shows so much more enjoyable once I’ve determined I hate a given contestant. I only watched this particular round as I was nearly certain that other pretty lady (Monica?) was going to beat her handily. I think I lost my voice screaming when I heard Cee Lo’s selection.

That explains your opinion on Angie! I always figured it was hearing problems, but it was just the mute button!

Likewise, Kat was great, and the comparison to Lazaro shows you really don’t even understand what her voice actually sounds like. Not only was she not “horrible” but she easily, and clearly, beat her opponent. You’re free to have an opinion, but calling what she did “horrible” is just objectively false, unless you had some sort of personal problem unrelated to her actual performance.

Sometimes you don’t want vocal teachers to do too much to rockers though otherwise you end up with the hideousness that like when the three tenors tried to sing rock and pop and didn’t change their style up.

Just get rid of the sheep bleat. That’s all I’m asking. Tall order, I know, but that sheep bleat has to go. Even Adele had to go back to the drawing board with a teacher after she blew her voice out. She sounds better now than she ever has. Whoever her teacher is, kudos to you.

LOL, Josh and Amber at no.5? really I think Josh is the most underrated artist in the list, even his battles with Michael was in the bottom list last week while they both slayed it. I think they should be in No.2 next to Tessane and Ashley. I’m so sad Holly is already gone…. oh I guess it’s really due to wrong song choice

That is interesting, MC. I thought Blake should have picked Holly for her potential. I thought Holly and Nic both had their problems on Monday, but Holly was tremendous in her blind audition and seems to have a lot more potential than Nic.

BLASPHEMY!!! Juliet Simms was heaven on earth. Her Roxanne is one of the most epic performances the show has ever had. Definitely in the top 3 best ever, if not the best. Kat Robiwhatever should never be included in the same breath as Queen Simms.

The most interesting development tonight was Blake’s stealing Cole. As of this minute, Cole is the ONLY knockout survivor from Monday to land on the iTunes Top 200 Songs chart — and rising fast. Cee Lo may have let a very strong contender get away.

Secondarily, the ‘big deal’ about Tessanne continues. She’ll probably be proclaimed a frontrunner when the live shows begin. Sure, she has a good voice, but (so far) she’s never made it onto the iTunes chart. That’s precisely what happened to Judith Hill in Season 4. Unless something dramatic happens, it’s likely that Tessanne (like Judith) will be a departed ‘frontrunner’ before too long.

You also have to keep in mind that tonight was literally littered with none of the main contenders except for Tessanne and Holly.
Tomorrow night ought to be intriguing.
But honestly I don’t see the hype over Tessanne, she’s another belter. It’s not like the notes she hits isn’t impressive…but that’s literally all she’s got going for her is her power notes. Judith was overall more worthwhile

It’s never too early to assess fan support by watching how contestants perform on iTunes. Obviously, we don’t yet know who all the live show contestants will be, and iTunes downloads don’t yet count as votes. But, Preston, Caroline, and Cole have all performed very well on the iTunes chart. (And Holly, too, for that matter.) So, it’s not a stretch to assume that Preston, Caroline and Cole might have a slight advantage in terms of fan support — at least in comparison to all the other contestants who haven’t made it onto the charts so far. Of course, it’s early and anything can happen after the live rounds begin.

Tessanne is very good, but she is starting to sound a little bland to me, does it all just fine, but just somehow a touch bland, we will see though. Judith Hill’s voice seemed to be a bit more interesting in the end.

Not saying that Cole’s rendition of Let Her Go wasn’t great, because it was! … but I think being on Blake’s team may have to do a little with it rising up fast on iTunes. Most of Blake’s fans live in the US unlike the other coaches (well, not really sure about CeeLo’s fans).

I guess I’m in the minority because I don’t see what was so great about Cole’s rendition of Let Her Go. To me, it was monotone and showed Cole’s limited range. And it wasn;t even sung with that much emotion. I agree that maybe Blake’s fanbase has something to do with Cole’s iTunes sales.

For us to agree on everything would mean the unleashing of hell demons that would forever change the planet as we know it. It is to everyone’s advantage that we never fully agree, ok? :) All hell would very literally break loose otherwise.

Oh, so that means Caroline is a given for the finals, which is good, but I really wanted Stephanie against George. Oh well. That other black chick she’ll be paired against was very good from what I remember.

I guarantee that Holly would be charting ahead of everyone else if she had an iTunes version of her performance. She commented on the you tube video of her and Nic’s KO round that she is considering an “in tune” version of Creep for her you tube channel.

Completely agree Holly would have sold a lot of songs with Creep. It already says a lot that her performance pushed the 20 year old original on to the iTunes original charts. No other original song performed last night did that (aside from Let Her Go but that was already in the top 10 before Cole performed).

I liked Cole well enough when i heard it but wow. as I listen to it again its really getting pretty good.. .. hard when you don’t know the song and some things sound way better on my headphones.. (actually most good performances are even better on headphones.. out of tune ones get exposed lol) Thats a pretty cool song he sung… like the judges. I didn’t know it.

I do think Blake angled to get him pretty well.. and yeah.. with the right songs he can really catch fire.. he’s got a personal “gravitas” type of charm.. feel like there is a guy there that might have some quiet insights on the world to share with us.

I like johnny a lot too and think he also has potential to link up with the right song.. I think there was another bit further he could have connected with tonight but hell I’m comparing him to John Lennon.

I’d have taken Amber over Josh, Holly over Nic (despite pitch problems for Holly, I cannot stand Nic’s voice), Grey over James, Kat over Monika (really, if I were Cee Lo, I would have left both of these girls behind and taken both Cole and Jonny), Olivia over Destinee, Shelbie Z over Brianna, and Tessanne over Ashley. One of the spoilers suggested that Ashley had beaten Tessanne – I’ve loved Ashley all season, but after hearing the performances, I would have been completely shocked if Ashley won, and (correctly, I think) she did not.

I couldn’t understand why the coaches kept saying “Let Her Go” was an unfamiliar and new song, I hear that song all the bleeping time. But I’m in Canada so maybe it just isn’t well know in the States… yet.

The fact that he constantly dismisses pure vocal talent because he’s playing favorites (whether a contestant have an odd/quirky/unique tone or a contestant picked a random song choice he likes) is what sucks. Grey was way better than Olivia tonight. Yet she’s 6th and Olivia’s 3rd. I’m sure if Juhi was on tonight and delivered a bunch of goat vibrato squeaky note nonsense, she’d be at #1 on his list.

Then don’t read his opinions. I think he’s usually spot on with the occasional slip (still no Sasha Allen love, Slezak?!). He also has professional-level input from Melinda Doolittle. He was one of the few brave souls during this year’s American Idol who dared to point out the fact that the beloved Angie was… overrated!

See, here’s the thing, I adored Sasha Allen, and she was by far my favorite, while simultaneously Angie was also my favorite. So we have three different opinions, and I’m sure you could find someone who loved Angie but disliked Sasha.

So what you’re really saying here, similar to what Pat is also doing, is saying that Michael is wrong when he doesn’t agree with you (i.e. saying the situation with Sasha was a “slip”) and right when he does (i.e. saying that he was a brave soul when he dared to agree with you).

Pat I agree I liked Grey way better than Olivia, but I wouldn’t say his OPINION sucks, it just differs from me. That is what is nice about music, everyone hears something different and it moves people differently. For me Olivia has a nice voice, but all I see is a Carrie wanna be. To robotic for my taste.

No, I’m saying he shouldn’t consistently underrate pure vocal talent just because their tone/style/genre is not his cup of tea. Grey is without a doubt one of the most talented vocalists this season. Sure her particular style and genre is a little understated, middle of the road, and not the most exciting.
But you can’t be ranking Johnny “Hits Every 2nd or 3rd Note” Gray and Olivia “Started in a Key Way Too Low” Henken above her in judging last night. If the vocals were on par, then maybe you can make the argument that their style trumped Grey’s. But they weren’t. Grey flat out outsung both of them.

1) Tessanne – For me, this was easily the stand-out performance of the night. It was also the easiest knockout winner to choose, which is so strange because I really thought Ashley Dubose would be a contender this season. Tessanne’s vocals were spot-on, and I find her to be more relatable than last season’s Judith Hill, who everyone seems to constantly compare her to. I don’t think it’s fair to throw every one of Team Adam’s older ethnically unique powerhouse singer into one category (read: Judith Hill, Amanda Brown [heck, even Kim Yarbrough]), and I think Tessanne deserves the chance to continue to prove herself.
2) Amber – Wow. I figured Amber was a goner bfore the live shows because her blind audition wasn’t shown, but I hope that doesn’t work against her because she is ridiculously talented. Xtina got it right by noting the character she displayed in her knockout performance, and I think she could really continue to impress us if America gives her a chance.
3) Jonny – Love this guy. His voice is so different, and he picks interesting songs. Going into the battle, I was genuinely worried that Cole would outsing him, but Jonny more than held his own. He is insanely likeable and memorable, and is definitely a threat to go far this season.
4) Shelbie Z – Vocally, she’s got it. Her stage presence could use some work, so hopefully Blake will help her out there, because she looked like a karaoke singer on the stage. Luckily, this show is called “The Voice,” because she didn’t sound like one. Great song choice, and great vocal.
5) Josh – I’ve generally had a tough time remembering who Josh is when I hear his name, but tonight may have changed that. His performance was stellar. I personally preferred his knockout opponent to him, but I’m happy they both made it to the live shows.
6) Cole – I think Cole has massive potential. His voice is amazing, but his song choice tonight seemed a bit forgettable. He’s absolutely on my radar this season, though, after a stand-out blind audition.
7) Olivia – Olivia’s blind audition was weak, and her knockout performance wasn’t impressive, but her battle round (the one song she didn’t choose for herself) was one of the biggest stand-outs of the season. Hopefully Christina can help her pick better songs to showcase her voice. She also needs to distinguish herself from Carrie Underwood, since both look alike and are similar kinds of blonde female country singers. (Side note: I wonder if “The Voice” plans to throw their two blonde country singers under the bus this season, given that last year’s winner was a blonde country singer . . . and should E.G. Dailey be worried if she makes it to the live shows?)
8) Grey – Definitely a powerhouse vocalist, but I think she will need to pick a wider variety of songs because both of the song choices she made for herself were Kelly Clarkson songs. The two have very similar voices and styles, but Grey needs to differentiate herself and show that she can be an original.
9) Kat – Her stage presence is phenomenal, but her voice is like a goat’s bleat when she strains too much, which happens more often than note. I hope she picks (and nails) a softer song in the future, because she needs to show some versatility now.
10) Nic – Cool song arrangement arrangement, but I find his voice to be irritating. Creativity and energy alone can’t take you the distance on a show called “The Voice” because, well, a good voice is needed.

I totally agree with you. Tessane is consistent i dont see why a few people are counting her out when her quality is better than most if not all and I find most other contestants really blande barring a few others (Preston, Matt, Will). Tonight was pretty lame only one high point really

i completely agree with all the decisions and steals tonight. FOR ONCE! but yea, holly kind of shocked me with her performance. now, i’m nervous for Will & Ray tomorrow. 2 of my favorites. i will definitely freak out if they are let go without a steal!

It kind of bothers me how much everyone seems to be dissing on Nic. I thought he completely deserved to win. He utterly stomped Holly–that wasn’t a battle, it was a massacre. Nic is easily the most entertaining person on the show, and I for one will be voting for him! Also loved me some Shelbie Z. That girl rocks!

Enjoy Ni while you can, he will be gone next week because you will be the only one who votes for him. Even if Blake messes up again tonight and picks Brandon and E.G. over Austin and Ray, Nic is fifth on a five person team Unlike Holly who could have actually contended this season.

@Richard…Thank you! Nic is the only contestant that has truly entertained me. I thought his blind audition was awesome. Domino got me up & dancing. Really enjoyed his rendition of Genie in a Bottle. Nic is a natural on stage, a joy to watch. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all his performances. If he’s at all nervous, he doesn’t show it at all. I’m voting for Nic as well. I do like Caroline Pennell’s indie voice too!

Wondering who chose those songs for them. Just not so enjoyable. I could only endure Grey’s and Destinee’s full performances; but why couldn’t Destinee put her voice to better use?
For now, I think Grey and Jacquie may go far.

I like Nic because I like to be entertained, and with the exception of maybe one other contestant that’s made it through the knock out rounds thus far will be able to offer me that this season. I mean call me crazy but most artist do like to entertain in all its essence. I liked his rendition of “Genie In A Bottle”. Kudos, Nic!
———
Kat Robichaud – “ Could Kat — who described herself as being into “ballsy female angsty rock-and-roll ” — have chosen anything more obvious than Alanis Morissette’s woman-scorned anthem?” – – – – Michael, I could say the exact same thing about Shelbie. I dig Kat. She has a certain je ne sais quoi, and she is a rocker. Also, I think it’s very well published that Alanis wrote that song because she was um angry. AND if you saw Alanis back in the day perform that awesome ditty live (and I have), Kat emulated the feeling of exactly why it was written – stage presence is a good thing – something that isn’t easily forgotten. Get it Kat!
———-
Josh has improved since I remember him from Rockstar Supernova, but most people who choose their own songs do pick safely (hence Shelbie again). There is absolutely no denying his talent though no matter which way you want to size it up.
—————
Jonny verses Cole – I was like WHAT? Nooo! Whew! I was relieved when Adam said he was taking whoever CeeLo gave up – THANK GOD! That was a tough knock out because I am not ready to see either one go. Those dudes are really, really good. I’m ready to see some real depth come out of Jonny, because I know it’s in there. Digging them big time…
———
Tessanne Chin is a power house – crazy good.

Well, I am not shock at any of the ones eliminated, but a couple of them I wish were saved over who they picked. I am not a fan of Cole but I love that song by the Passenger, so I wasn’t upset Blake saved him as long as he chooses songs I like. Personally, I think Blake is purposely picking weak singers so he does not win. I am thinking the producers want a new winner this year. If Blake does win this year, it will only confirm that people pick because of the Judges, not the contestants. Which is okay, that might be why I do not get invested in this show. I can take or leave it, depending what is going on. I am so glad they did not steal Briana, should not have been there in the first place.

I thought Holly should have won the battle with Nic. It wasn’t a great performance by Nic or Holly. But when you listen to Holly, you can hear raw potential that needs some refining. Her mistake was performing “Creep,” which was too difficult for her. She and Blake should have figured out a better song for her to sing. Nic, on the other hand, has not stood out with his singing, and his choice of “Genie in a Bottle” was just strange. Nic won’t come close to winning The Voice, but with some more work, Holly might have gone deep into the competition.

Holly picked the song. It was up to her to choose something in her wheelhouse which she failed at. That is the purpose of the knockout rounds. Sorry I like Holly way better than Nic, but if she doesn’t realize that the song was to big for her, than she is not ready for the competition.

I’ve become a Holly Henry fan, mostly based on her stuff on youTube and her website. I’ll make three short observatons: 1. That style of music doesn’t seem popular on the show. Those that talk about pitch issues, including some of the judges, are perhaps not familier with a genre where singers often slide the pitch around to add imperfection to the song. As I watched Blake make his decision, I wondered if he would have kicked Bob Dylan or the late Lou Reed off his team. I’m a big Blake fan, and I simply think he doesn’t not understand that type of music. In his arena, pitch-perfect is everything. 2. As many have said, the song choice didn’t help her at all. What she has on the internet displays a powerful high register that the song didn’t display at all. I don’t blame Blake for that. It was her choice. I think she has an amazing voice, but is perhaps not ready for that type of show. They seem to want perfect Danielle, not vulnerable Holly or Caroline, who I understand is eliminated tonight. 3. The show isn’t that good this season. The talent is too washed out, as it was last year. The only thing that made the show at all appealing last season, was that Danielle was so good. This season, we have no Danielle, and the show just seem to be lacking.

I’m not a country fan so Danielle did nothing for me, but I am excited about this season so far. Especially Tessanne, I like her singing voice, I like her speaking voice & I like her personality. There’s many other I find intriguing as well, so I’ll keep tuning in for sure.

Well put Caitlyn. Far too much emphasis is being put on perfection and creating an entertaining GAME SHOW, not talent contest. Holly needed a grand exit from the perfection Merry-Go-Round and she found it. Her song “Katie” (on Bandcamp) sums up her experience in a profound way.

Wow, if Caroline goes tonight my early female favs will both be gone. I like both Holly & Caroline and I think Juhi’s really interesting too. I know there are some truly powerful female singers this season but they’re not necessarily singing anything I’d buy off iTunes. I think Jonny may snag my fav spot. I’m really just looking forward to the live rounds at this point.

1. Ashley Dubose should’ve gotten a steal
2. Grey straight out-sang James Irwin – no question Slezak!
3. What in the name of the what was that screechy awful mess Destinee Quinn
4. I ain’t religious, but Cole Vosbury and Jonny Gray: preach! Those two were all kinds of awesome

There is no ‘god’ so no need to apologize to a mythical figure, Michael. And, if Christina Aguilera has the ‘voice of an angel,’ then send me to this fictitious place called hell. Or at least the South.